It only takes a moment

Today after dropping some letters in the mailbox at the corner I waited to cross the street. The truck coming up the street stopped and waved me on. It was a nice gesture and smart because pedestrians, motor vehicles, and snow are a bad combination.

I asked the guys who clear snow around the building if they needed me to move the van. They said, "no, you're fine." I had already shoveled around the van in case I needed to move it but it was nice not to have to scrape the windows and move it onto the street.

When I got down to the parking garage to exhume the car the garage was filling up quickly. Many of the people who had parked there for the parking ban had not left yet and the people who park there during the day were having a hard time finding space. I started up the car and cleared the windows a bit. As I was finishing I noticed a car pull up a short distance away and stop in the traffic lane. He was apparently hoping to take my spot. I quickly hopped in the car, backed out, and pulled the car into a non-spot behind some other cars so I could get the windows more clear before driving. The guy who had been waiting took the place I had been in. Later as I was paying he walked by on his way out. He stopped and uttered some words of thanks at the closed passenger window (which still being deaf in that ear I had no chance of hearing). Nice. First that he noticed I hurried to make a spot for him and second that he took the second it cost him to express it.

Maybe Maine is subconsciously succeeding from The Union and joining Canada.